Hakeem praises Lee administration for agreeing to hold Chattanooga hearing on Medicaid waiver plan

Oct. 7--NASHVILLE -- State Rep. Yusuf Hakeem is praising Gov. Bill Lee's administration for agreeing to add Chattanooga to the list of cities slated for public hearings on the Republican governor's proposed federal Medicaid waiver for the state's TennCare health insurance program.

After Lee's original announcement about his Medicaid waiver request to the Trump administration to get approval for dramatically overhauling the program for 1.4 million low-income Tennesseans, Hakeem, D-Chattanooga, said he had reached out to the governor's office about a local hearing. That resulted in a referral to the TennCare Division, he said.

"Within two or three days, we had a commitment to have a meeting in Chattanooga," the former Chattanooga City Council member said. "It didn't really appear in my view to have to twist arms to get them to come here."

The public hearings are part of a process required by the federal government when states propose changes in the form of waivers to their Medicaid programs. Lee's original announcement called for hearings in Nashville, Jackson and Knoxville on his plan to convert much of the federal contribution to TennCare into a $7.9 billion hybrid block grant, an annual lump sum payment. The total program's budget is $12.1 billion.

TennCare provides insurance for low-income children, pregnant mothers, caretakers for children, seniors and the disabled. There were 65,421 Hamilton Countians on the program as of August, according to TennCare figures. Hakeem, who represents much of the city of Chattanooga, said a number of them live in his district.

The lone Democrat in Hamilton County's seven-member legislative delegation, Hakeem said he is "proud of all the work [TennCare] has done to allow the people of Chattanooga to have their voices heard on this issue that is crucial for all of Tennessee."

Noting that Lee only became governor in January, Hakeem said there has previously been a history of "Chattanooga not being considered in major conversations even though it's as important" as other Tennessee cities.

The administration also added a hearing in Memphis. The Chattanooga hearing is Oct. 16, two days before the 30-day public comment period ends.

With the Trump administration pushing Medicaid block grants as a means of saving federal dollars, Republican majority lawmakers this spring passed a law directing Lee to seek the waiver. Advocates for the poor as well as national health care groups and many Democrats have criticized it, saying it will jeopardize the program. Lee is seeking far greater flexibility from customary Medicaid rules which he says can promote cost savings without harming care.

The governor says critics are either "misinformed" about what he's trying to do or haven't read through the entire proposal, which includes a provision seeking a 50/50 split on the managed care program's savings over a traditional Medicaid fee-for-service program. It could mean upwards of $1 billion more annually for TennCare if that's approved, Lee says.

Hakeem, who voted against the waiver bill, said it "gives me pause. I'm not convinced." He hopes the hearing will provide an "opportunity not only for myself but for the community at large if there are things that need to be cleared up so far as information or misinformation. This is an opportunity for this to be done in Chattanooga."

Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.

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